Anybody Know Norse Or Pagan Celtic Mythology...religious Practices?

[PiracyOfTheHead]

Hi,

 

I do not know a lot about my Celtic ancestors and everytime I listen to Wagner, or watch LoTR or read something that involves the Nordic and Celtic myths I am absolutely intigued.

 

During my Xtian days I was forbidden to look into these things of course, which also built up a fear within me....as if I would become demon possessed even reading a book on the Ring Cycle or listening to Gotterdamarung.

 

I really dont know anybody at all who has the slightest bit of knowledge in this area since all I have known for over a decade have been Xtians.

 

Can somebody point me int he right direction??

 

I have seen there is a lot of info at the SacredTexts, Sacred Archives site but I was hoping for maybe some smaller chunks, more byte size introductions, possibly even audio or video, say on Youtube.

 

Any info would be appreciated or any story you would like to share, please feel free.

_______________________________

 

Erinn Gobragh, Tiocaidh Ar la!!!!

[hereticzero]

My ancestors are Native Indian and also came from Ireland. My mother's side of the family are all red heads. I have been searching out my roots and have a few books and have read a few others.

 

There is a book of Celtic art and literature I enjoying reading now and again, 'The Celtic Quest in Art and Literature', Edited by Jane Lahr. It is full of Celtic stories, paintings, poetry, and several pages hold stories of the Druids. I like "Instructions of a King." It is advice on how to be a leader of men.

 

Any time I down a shot of good Irish Whiskey, there's an Ulster man getting paid. So, it is only considerate that I should do my best to keep that man employed. You know, he may be family!

[Astreja]

On the Norse side, one good place to start is the Poetic Edda. I particularly recommend the first two poems, the Völuspá and the Hávamál.

 

As for actual practices, the structure is fairly loose and you could go in many different directions. My own explorations got me studying the Futhark runes and meadmaking and also revitalized my interest in fighting arts (I'm testing for my purple belt in karate on Sunday). I also dabble in seiðr (essentially shamanic magic) but this is something rather improvisational rather than an area of study.

 

At the heart of it all, I'd sum up the Norse path as "Have courage, be self-reliant and honest in your dealings, and support your family and friends." That's it... And that's lots.

[Thurisaz]

:whs:

 

Read the Poetic Edda, specifically the Voluspa and Havamal (the first kind of includes the ancient Nordic/Asatru creation myth, the second more or less what could pass as the "commandments" of our faith), that should help already. However, you should keep in mind that there is no kind of central dogma in what survived of the ancient Germanic/Viking beliefs (thanks to centuries of morontheist "love"), and we Asatruar today also do not recognize any central authority, so (for example) Astreja, me and 8 other Asatruar may well have eleven different POVs on the same thing

 

And by the way, from what I've heard of Wagner's works, he did a mindblowingly good job music-wise, but you shouldn't bet on his mythology to be close to what's known today

 

By the way, while the whole "Poetic Edda" is not a small volume, in many cases you can rather easily read it bit by bit. Much of it is more or less short stories and poems. The hardest thing about the book may well be the very unfamiliar style

[Amethyst]

Also if you search the internet, there are a great many Pagan web sites. Some people have taken up the ancient practices again as an alternative to Christianity. I tried being Wiccan for about a year but realized I couldn't literally believe in it, either. Literal belief in things without proof is just not in me anymore. Granted, not all the information on the internet is accurate but it is a place to start, and some of those Pagan sites have book links.

[Guest Trutia]

read "Vollmer's Mythologie Aller Volker", that translates like : "Vollmer's Mythology Of All Peoples" by Dr. Vollmer.Something about the Slavonic, Finnish and Baltic mythology.very interesting and much better than the new ones.

read also "Manniskan Och Hennes Symboler" (Man And His Symbols) by Dr. Carl G. Jung.

[Onyx]

Look up Finn MacCool, Anna Livia and Fiona MacCumhail stories. They may not seem much but these gods/goddesses have influenced the Irish immensely.

Also read up on your archaeology, music intruments and Irish history (pre-Christian - That means pre-Patrick) and visit Ireland yourself.

Also ask your Irish friends/relatives.

[BlueGiant]

Hoooo boy, this is a rather thorny subject. You may want to do some looking into Celtic Recon (Reconstruction) practices, they will probably be the best places for research. I defer to the others above as for looking into old Norse practices. If you are looking on the internet for information in this regard, and I'm sure you already know this but it bears repeating, check sources and cross-reference. I'd also warn you with books, and printed works, there is a cottage industry of vanity publishers that gets used in the pagan community, so I'd be as careful checking those as well.

 

Doing a search for Celtic Reconstruction is a good starting point, though.

[PIRACYs LADY]

My ancestors are Native Indian and also came from Ireland.

 

 

All mine are from Ireland and a KIOWA man slipped in 3 generations back so I am Kiowa Indian and almost ALL Irish, some scots Irish, but all in all an Irishman who should be living on the Rez.

[PIRACYs LADY]

:whs:

 

Read the Poetic Edda, specifically the Voluspa and Havamal (the first kind of includes the ancient Nordic/Asatru creation myth, the second more or less what could pass as the "commandments" of our faith), that should help already...........

could you Pm me that info??? maybe in the order you see best?? that would be a big help...was gone a few days and have so much to catch up on.

 

TIA

[PIRACYs LADY]

Also if you search the internet, there are a great many Pagan web sites. Some people have taken up the ancient practices again as an alternative to Christianity. I tried being Wiccan for about a year but realized I couldn't literally believe in it, either. Literal belief in things without proof is just not in me anymore. Granted, not all the information on the internet is accurate but it is a place to start, and some of those Pagan sites have book links.

 

Ammy, my wife CAN make things happen using wicca, she only had the money to buy the ingredients for a few weeks but she has "the gift", that is rock solid for sure, I have witnessed it.

 

She just signed up for ExC tonight.

 

She wrote a little intro her name is Piracys Lady

[PIRACYs LADY]

Look up Finn MacCool, Anna Livia and Fiona MacCumhail stories. They may not seem much but these gods/goddesses have influenced the Irish immensely.

Also read up on your archaeology, music intruments and Irish history (pre-Christian - That means pre-Patrick) and visit Ireland yourself.

Also ask your Irish friends/relatives.

 

Ive been dreaming of going to Eire for so long now...I read 2 Irish history books, both were great but I lost a lot of memory during the past couple years, will need to re-read them soon.

 

thanks

[PIRACYs LADY]

WELL SEEING AS I AM ON MY WIFES NAME I FEEL A WEE BIT STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That was typical of somehting I would day after being off my pain meds for so long and getting back on them...lemme go switch

 

DUH

[Thurisaz]

:whs:

 

Read the Poetic Edda, specifically the Voluspa and Havamal (the first kind of includes the ancient Nordic/Asatru creation myth, the second more or less what could pass as the "commandments" of our faith), that should help already...........

could you Pm me that info??? maybe in the order you see best?? that would be a big help...was gone a few days and have so much to catch up on.

 

TIA

 

Here you go

 

The names are a bit different in here (that same damn different-versions thing that pisses off bible scholars )... the chapters I mentioned are called "Voluspo" and "Hovamol" in this version.

 

A few words on the background maybe... the Voluspa contains a seeress's visions on the beginning, the end, and things inbetween. The Havamal (Song of the High One) is said to be Odin's thoughts and recommendations gathered when he lived as a human among humans for a while. I'd like to stress that in there are no commandments, just recommendations... and no threat of any Divine retributions if you don't heed that advice. The general thought among Asatruar today (as far as I know) is that if you transgress against them you piss off your fellow humans, and any punishment will come from them. No active Gods needed.

[Thurisaz]

Ive been dreaming of going to Eire for so long now...I read 2 Irish history books, both were great but I lost a lot of memory during the past couple years, will need to re-read them soon.

 

Do visit sweet Eriu as soon as you can... if you're just remotely like me the experience will blow you away. The magic of this island cannot be described with words

 

I don't regret a single second of the week I spent there in 2005... Of course I just dwelt in the pleasant southeast instead of the kind of rough northwest but anyway...

[PiracyOfTheHead]

Ive been dreaming of going to Eire for so long now...I read 2 Irish history books, both were great but I lost a lot of memory during the past couple years, will need to re-read them soon.

 

Do visit sweet Eriu as soon as you can... if you're just remotely like me the experience will blow you away. The magic of this island cannot be described with words

 

I don't regret a single second of the week I spent there in 2005... Of course I just dwelt in the pleasant southeast instead of the kind of rough northwest but anyway...

 

 

Well, if I even hear bagpipes, I feel like 'something is happening to me' that is so powerful I cant describe it, if that hapens with the music, I cant imagine the rock itself.....bloody hell.

 

Everytime I hear something Irish or hear something it feels like "me"....it resonates somewhere deeper than anything else can touch.

[PiracyOfTheHead]

I am a bloody Mick anyway...my last name starts with Mc like a good Irish lad.

 

Our Clan name in the old country though is MacDougall.

 

I REALLY want us to get well so we can go and someday move there..Im homesick for a place I have never set foot on, at least in this lifetime.

[Guest Jord]

Thurisaz,

 

Just wanted to thank you for your thoughts on Asatru.

 

I am a rather recent ex-christian convert, who has been introduced to Asatru by a new friend of mine that I met attending a UU church.

 

This friend of mine and I, we hit it off right away and we became friends quickly.

 

He is a follower of Asatru, and his wife follows Taoism. They are both former members of the Mormon faith which is the faith I am coming from sorta (never joined, but I believed it 100%, came from a pentecostal background).

 

Anyway,

 

I've been reading a lot of Richard Dawkins/Sam Harris, and now Dan Barker if I recall his name correctly. Alot of atheist works which I happen to enjoy.

 

This has been very confusing for me because I happen to really agree with and enjoy a lot of these atheistic works, however, I am struggling with the concept of being entirely alone and void of any divine presence which is exactly what these authors are stating.

 

I've been studying Asatru. I've been ordering books of Amazon fast and furious. I've been doing some light reading (sarcasm) of "The Troth" history and lore and living the troth, which are both rather large books. It's a lot to absorb but the biggest roadblock has been the belief that the Norse deities are 100% living and ruling even today.

 

I can respect that in some sense, but, coming from a ex-christian situation, the believe in any deity seems fishy to me. Yet, at the same time, I do believe in "something" I'm just not sure what.

 

I feel agnostic at times, perhaps even an atheist in denial.

 

But, reading through your descriptions has helped me relax my stance a little bit.

 

Investigating Asatru and the runes has truly resonated with me. My family come from a mainly Irish Northern European background and somewhere I feel in my bones that some of my ancestors followed this old way. I realize I have no proof of that but it "feels" to be legitimate for whatever that's worth.

 

Anyway, thank you for your insight on these things. It helped me to realize that I can view these deities has spiritual beings that can influence my life without needing to take such a staunch "they are alive with bodies or else!" theology which because of my christian De-conversion and soft-core atheist views, is a little hard to deal with.

 

-Jord

[Thurisaz]

Everytime I hear something Irish or hear something it feels like "me"....it resonates somewhere deeper than anything else can touch.

 

Well if you enjoy that feeling... you may find you like this:

 

Radio LiveIreland

 

Two streams available (check out the upper left of the page). I've become pretty much addicted to the traditional stream lately

[Thurisaz]

Thurisaz,

 

Just wanted to thank you for your thoughts on Asatru. [...]

 

You're welcome

 

...thank you for your insight on these things. It helped me to realize that I can view these deities has spiritual beings that can influence my life without needing to take such a staunch "they are alive with bodies or else!" theology which because of my christian De-conversion and soft-core atheist views, is a little hard to deal with.

 

You sound quite a bit like me

 

If someone asks me whether I believe in the Edda and other sagas literally, I guess the only honest answer is indeed "err, no". Much of my views is probably more agnostic than anything else... but what the fuck, if it feels right for me and doesn't harm anyone else...